Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea pt. 28

by

Jules Verne

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Tonight, we’ll read the next part to “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne.

In the last episode, Arronax and the crew of the Nautilus reach the South Pole. They encounter a scattered icebergs and various wildlife. Captain Nemo expresses uncertainty about their exact location and decides to take bearings. We pick up right after Arronax’s and Captain Nemo’s last conversation where they discuss the importance of taking observations the next day, as it marks the equinox and the last opportunity for six months to determine their position at the South Pole before the polar night descends. The captain expresses confidence that if they can see the sun exactly cut by the northern horizon at noon, it will confirm their location. Despite potential mathematical errors due to the equinox not necessarily beginning at noon, the captain is optimistic that their bearings will be accurate enough. They agree to reconvene after breakfast to choose a suitable observation post ashore.